


The Thanksgiving From Hell

by queenofspades (enlightenight)



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 10:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2305868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enlightenight/pseuds/queenofspades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been only two months and one week since Jeff came to her door and wanted her to marry him, for real, this time. It had been only two months since they were married. And it had been a few hours that her mother, Elizabeth Perry, invited Jeff and her over for Thanksgiving dinner.</p>
<p>HAPPY BIRTHDAY MILLA!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>Companion pieces:</p>
<p>http://enlightenight.tumblr.com/post/97506245159/happy-birthday-milla-jeff-x-britta-au-in-which<br/>http://enlightenight.tumblr.com/post/97506255259/happy-birthday-milla-pt-2-jeff-x-britta</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Thanksgiving From Hell

“Bad news,” Britta took a deep breath before expressing her anxiety to him, over the phone. Though she knew he could calm her down, Jeff was always good with words - that was kind of how he had managed to talk her into marriage. A shotgun wedding, more correctly… “My mother expects us for the thanksgiving dinner.”

“I thought you said bad news?” She heard Jeff joking. “Come on, how bad it can be?”  
“Don’t you remember all of those stories I’ve told you?” The blonde woman asked nervously. “You don’t know my mother, Jeff, she’s like Annie and Shirley combined-“  
“And you’ve spent five years with Shirley and Annie,” He was speaking with a calm tone, which actually made her calmer. “Relax, it’ll be perfect. Trust me.”

Britta sighed. “I trust you, Winger, I don’t trust my family. It’s not even two weeks since they know about our wedding and they know everything about you. Including your fake bachelor’s degree.”  
“And?”  
“And, they will most probably spend the entire evening making fun of both of us. Look, five years in Greendale have taught me not to give a damn about being mocked, but you don’t have to go through the same thing I do.”  
“Better or worse, kitten, remember? Will we go casual or should I take my Gucci suit out of the wardrobe?”  
“I’m gonna go casual, no matter what we wear, they will find an imperfection anyway… And Jeff…”  
“Yes?”  
“My brother will be there, too.”  
“See you at home, Britta.”

*

It had been only two months and one week since Jeff came to her door and wanted her to marry him, for real, this time. It had been only two months since they were married. And it felt like forever.

No, she was clear about one thing: they were happy. Without all the people around, making fun of and not believing in them, they realised they could go pretty well. Britta still felt some guilt while replying to Shirley’s emails, but as Jeff said, it wasn’t their business at all.

Weren’t they the ones who didn’t believe they would get married?

And now, here they were, in Jeff’s brand new Lexus, driving to Britta’s parents’ home. Home, would be underestimating the house - as Britta stated for a hundred times. It was like a little palace with guards on the door and everything.

“Why did you leave such a life?” Jeff had asked, when Britta told him about it.  
“Because it consisted two parents and one brother who didn’t give two shits about me, when I was eleven. Thomas believed in me, though. Needlessly to say, he’s on bad terms with them, too.”

The house was on countryside, along with many other small mansions. Britta shook her head to all of them, with a certain disgust on her pretty face as Jeff placed his hand on her knee.

“Look,” he said. “How bad can it be? Worst case, you can yell at them whatever you want and then we can leave.”  
“I suggest we should turn away immediately. With my parents, it can be really bad.”  
“Be brave,” he said jokingly. “I’m with you-“  
“Please tell me you’re not going into all ‘I’m gonna defend your honor’ thing, Jeff.”  
“No, I wouldn’t even dream of it - you’re very well capable of it on your own. But I will support you, just like when you supported me when I met my father. Promise.”

For the first time that evening, Britta managed to smile.

*

The moment they walked in, Britta wanted to go back and never return this place. Still, Jeff was right behind her and pushing her a little bit, it was amazing how he didn’t even stall for a second with all the glory of the Perry house.

“Oh,” they heard a very nonchalant voice. “Britta and her guest have arrived… What a pleasant surprise.”

Jeff turned his toward the man who spoke, and took a few steps towards him.  
“You must be Michael,” he said.  
“And you must be that ex-con man who though it’d be a casual event,” Michael Perry replied. “How surprising is that Britlles find someone like her…”  
“Michael!” A very authoritarian voice interrupted. “Please. Britta darling, welcome… This man must be-“  
“Yes,” Britta spoke stubbornly. “My husband, Jeff. Though you know almost everything about him, right?”

Mrs Elizabeth Perry, though her smile lacked the warmth that her voice carried, welcomed them both as she gave a warning look at her son, and clapped her hands.

“Should we go to the dinner room?”

Without waiting their answers, she turned around and walked as Michael followed her. He accidentally hit Jeff with his shoulder, though Jeff didn’t seem to be affected by his attempt.

“Your brother is adorable,” he said sarcastically, Britta smiled at the familiar tone. “Where’s the other one, the doctor?”  
“As the profession suggests,” Britta rolled her eyes. “Thomas is clever enough not to come here. Let’s go.”

*

The dinner was awkwardly quiet, somehow Britta realised she would prefer it to having her mother - or god forbid, her brother - speak. Her father was a totally different case, this psychologist who could psychoanalyse almost everyone, had no idea what she felt for her father. Did she hate him? Dislike him? Love him but from a safe distance and preferably with protective goggles? She had no idea.

When her father, Mr Howard Perry, invited Jeff and Michael for a drink in the other room, Britta felt that stress was about to stroke her.

They left, Jeff gave a glance at Britta - and Britta simply nodded, she knew he wouldn’t leave her alone if she wanted him to. But, no, Britta Perry was strong enough to deal with anything, even it was her mother.

“So,” she spoke as her daughter watched the boys leaving. “He seems nice.”  
“Yeah,” Britta muttered. “He is nice.”  
“I wonder how he made you fall for him, he’s clearly too immoral for you-“  
“You don’t know him, mom…”  
“I know enough to say he’s immoral, sugar. Faking a bachelor’s degree-“  
“And being good enough not to get caught for seven years-“  
“Oh my god, you’re defending him.”  
“You defend my father whenever you find the chance, why can’t I do the same for him?”  
“Because it’s not the same! We had a regular relationship for three years-“  
“Jeff and I know each other for five years!”  
“Yes, you’ve met in a goddamn community college, right? I mean, you could’ve been graduated from University of Colorado, at least!”  
“I’m fine with my college degree, thank you.”

*

“Between us… When you look at her, and us, you would think she could’ve been so much better than… Whatever this is.”

Jeff actually took a moment to consider the possibility of him seeing a delusion.  
“Well,” he started really carefully. “She turned out to be pretty well on her own, being a successful psychologist.”  
“Yeah, very successful,” Michael snarked. “Graduating from a damn community college, marrying someone she met there-“  
“At least I have manners to keep my thoughts to myself,” Jeff smiled. “Something clearly your school haven’t taught you.”  
“Manners don’t make you earn money.”  
“Manners have nothing to do with money, trust me.”

Before Michael could say anything, Howard Perry interrupted them.

“Don’t get me wrong, Jeffrey,” he said compassionately. “She’s my girl, and I love her, but you’ve gotta admit she made some wrong choices… A lot of them.”  
“Stop,” Jeff raised his hand. “The only wrong choice she made was that listening to you about how bad she was. She’s perfect, but you don’t see it - and if you-“ He turned to Michael, who was getting ready to speak. “Interrupt me once again, I will hurt your precious pride very much.”

His eyes turned to Howard, who was pouring another round of scotch to their glasses, and he continued very slowly.

“I don’t know if I ever have to made this speech again,” he said. “But I know I have to make this one, right now. Since the beginning of this evening, you, all of you, said nothing but how Britta disappointed you. You clearly miss the very point that you disappointed her, in the beginning. When she was eleven, by the way. This gives out a lot about you.” He looked at the room. “Fancy mansion outside the city, a chef who can’t even cook a goddamn beef properly, and many servants. This doesn’t mean anything, you know… I have, yes, have, clients even richer than you are but that doesn’t suggest they are perfect people. They are not. You, certainly, are not. You know who’s perfect? Britta. The girl who left everything behind, just so she could accomplish something on her own - unlike your second son, who still lives with you, spends your money, and thinks he can insult everyone and everything that doesn’t carry the name Perry.”

Howard raised his eyebrows.  
“Damn, son,” he smiled. “Where were you when I needed a good lawyer?”

Jeff shrugged.  
“I was probably too busy with saving my other, richer and better clients’ asses. Now you can hate me all you want, like I care, but I’m not gonna let you upset her.”  
“She told you about the thing?”  
“If the thing means that man in that dinosaur costume, then yes. And I believe her. Unlike you.”

*

“You haven’t changed a bit, Britta! You’re still the same-“  
“Still the same, what? Loser? Disgrace? Like you ever cared about the things I value!”  
“Things you value? Like taking drugs with meth heads in Amsterdam? Or marrying an ex-con man? Hah!”

Britta gave her a long glance before answering.

“I am not eighteen, mom, I have a life, friends and even someone who loves me. I am really sorry, but this night is over.”

She stormed off to the other room, and looked at Jeff.  
“Jeff, we’re leaving.”

Without hesitating, Jeff immediately rose from that uncomfortable armchair and followed Britta.

“Britta, where are you going?” She heard her father asking, but it passed the moment that she gave a crap about all of these, she wanted to be alone, under the blankets she bought with her own, earned money, maybe drink a bottle of vodka and blast the music on the iPod that Pierce inherited.

“She’s running away, as usual,” it was Michael’s voice that interrupted her thoughts. She felt Jeff turning back to him, she just put one hand on his chest and walked towards her brother.

“Michael,” she said. “I wanted to do this for a very long time-“

And she sucker punched him. It felt good, more than anything, to see him cry out loud and fell on the floor. It was nice that she felt so powerful, it was as if she was taking everything from that little asshole who was a copy of their parents. It was victory, she felt.

  
_“Now, we’re definitely leaving.”_

*

As soon as they got to the car, Jeff gave her a very guilty look on his eyes.

“I am sorry, Britta. I was the one who persuaded you to come here tonight.”  
“Naah, don’t think like that,” she waved her hand, like it was nothing. “It was good that I finally told her what I thought.” It was true.  
“Forget about them, Britta,” he kissed her hand gently. “You’re the best, though you don’t accept it.”  
“I accept it, Winger, especially you’re like this and not a jerk.”

Jeff laughed silently and started the car, one hand on Britta’s hand, he murmured.  
“I love you, you know…”  
“I love you, too. Now, please let’s get out of here, I can feel the capitalism rubbing on me.”

And they got out of there.


End file.
